ONE ON ONE | Steven Lewis On typical day, bank president covers all bases

You started out in accounting and switched to banking. Does that mean banking is more exciting than accounting?
It is for me.
Why?
I was doing a lot of audit work for Coopers & amp; Lybrand. It was a real education for me. I got to see a lot of different companies. I specialized in telephone companies and I got to do some manufacturers. But no matter where I went, the debits and credits just weren't very exciting. I did audit work. When I would come home at the end of the day, I'd ask myself, Just what did I do? I'm not saying accountants aren't creative, but finance has more creativity for me.
What's a typical day for you as bank president?
It's all over the place. I'm much more a generalist than I used to be. My background here was chief financial officer, so my focus predominantly was in finance. But [former president Paul] Watson ran the company as a team, so I participated very heavily in the new directions we were taking the company. Then I got into areas that weren't really in my area.
If you weren't doing this, what would you be doing?
I'd probably be an investment banker. I had some offers over the years to do that instead, but I chose to stay here. Or I'd be a general contractor. I built my house and another house.
When was that?
In the mid-1990s. Talk about a creative outlet. I enjoyed it, but I didn't like the marketing. All of that money is tied up in that house, and it's costing you money each day while you're waiting for someone to buy it.
Why did you do it?
That was a hobby for me.
What are your other hobbies?
I also like to travel and to boat.
Where do you go boating?
All over. I trailer the boat to different lakes and the Ohio River.
You don't hear many people from up here that go to the Ohio River.
I love boating on the Ohio River. The lakes are too crowded. They're dangerous, in fact. On the river, you can just go for miles. There are hills on both sides, so it's not choppy.
And you go to the YMCA on your lunch hour?
I play basketball for the most part. I'm the old guy at 43. The others are 19, 20, 24. They show me how to be an athlete. I show them how to cheat.
Where is your favorite place to visit outside the Mahoning Valley?
Venice, Fla. It's a nice, small town. It's not touristy or glitzy. There are some antique shops, coffee shops and the beach. My grandparents got a place down there in 1960. My dad, uncle and I later got a small place there.
Who was the person who influenced you the most?
My father. Probably everyone says that. He is a pharmacist in East Liverpool. He was a frustrated pharmacist. He always had other small businesses that he was running. He believed in dealing with local retailers because the money would stay here. He'd never step foot in a Kmart or a Wal-Mart.
I like to operate that way, too, but I went to a chain store in Boardman recently. That was a mistake. I must have talked to nine people, and no one knew anything. And I spent a lot of money. It was frustrating. I should have never gone there. My father would have said, "I told you so."